Bank officers' unions blame IBA for derailing wage negotiation process

Four bank officers' unions led by All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) on Sunday blamed the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) for derailing finalisation of the wage revision process for over four lakh bank officers under the recent wage settlement announced in July this year.

The other three officers' unions are All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC), and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO). After three years of intense negotiations, bank employees' unions and IBA, on July 22, agreed for an annual wage hike of 15 per cent, which would be applicable from November 1, 2017.

All the parties were required to finalise the wage settlement within a period of ninety days from July 22, 2020. "On October 17 abruptly without any rhyme or reason, IBA informed their inability to conclude and ink the joint note pertaining to officers' wage revision with effect from November 1, 2017. The lame reason cited by them was not signing the costing exercise with the workmen unions," AIBOC said in the release.

The IBA could not be reached for a response. AIBOC in a release said representatives of bank officers' unions and the IBA met on August 24th, September 10th and October 12th to conclude the wage revision process for bank officers. Both the parties again met on October 15th and 16th to finalise the wage revision process, the release added. It was mutually agreed that the signing ceremony would be held on October 18, it further said.

Following the delay in finalising the wage revision process, the four bank officers' unions have asked their members for withdrawing extra cooperation to the banks management, restricting work up to 6 pm, avoiding official work on Sundays and holidays. The new wage revision would entail an additional yearly outgo of Rs.7,898 crore for the banks. Out of the total corpus, Rs.4,513 crore was the share of officers to be distributed under various heads for the benefit of all officers, the release said.

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11th Bipartite Settlement Updates : Small Committee Meeting with IBA on 18th August

On Saturday, 18.08.2018 Small Committee Meeting was held at IBA Office Mumbai. The Meeting went on for about 3 hours. 

Management side was led by Mr. G. Rajkiran Rai, M.D. of Union Bank.

Ancillary Demands were discussed. Broad Understanding was reached on a few issues. "Things have started moving now", was the experience. 

Issues Discussed :

D. A. FORMULA : Unions are asked to submit detailed note on their suggestion on this.

House Rent Reimbursement : On the basis of Rent Paid Receipt. Since cost is involved, the issue will be discussed at main Negotiating Committee level.

 Transport Allowance : Marginal Increase agreed.

LEAVE MATTERS :

@ Notice period reduction to *10* days for PL other than LFC purpose accepted.

@  Enhancement in Accumulation of PL limit issue will be taken up at main Negotiating Committee Level.

@ Sick Leave : After service over 30 years, sick leave credit of 30 days on half pay  for each completed year accepted.

@ Sick Leave to Women Employees : For looking after sick child below 8 years of age may be permitted.

@ If Sick Leave fully exhausted, PL may be permitted ignoring no. of times PL availed in a year.

@ M. L. : Over & above max. limit on Maternity Leave, extra 2 Months leave may be given to cover cases of hysterectomy.

@ Paternity Leave : For adoptions may be permitted.

@ Extra Ordinary Leave : may be permitted upto 120 days per occasion. 

@ Management accepted BKSM demand 'to treat Absence during Curfew, Natural Calamities, Flood etc. as on duty/ Special Leave.

@ Leave Bank :  BKSM is asked to submit detailed note in this regard.

@ LFC Entitlement : Demand for enhancement in limit accepted. 

Clerks    : 2200 / 4400 km

Sub Staff : 2550 /5100 km

Provided they actually travel. For LFC on Declaration basis, existing limits will remain. 

@ Road Mileage Charges : enhancement accepted. From Rs. 6 per km to Rs. 8 per km.

@  Sightseeing & Local Charges : are accepted to be permitted in LFC provided they fall within overall LFC limit.

@  LFC GST : on ticket charges permitted.

@  Rajdhani / Shatabdi : Train fares accepted to be reimbursed if actually travelled in case of LFC.

@  BKSM suggestion for one more option to change over LFC Block from 2 to 4 years and vice versa accepted.

@  On BKSM Demand for total exemption from Income Tax on Entire Retirement Benefits , IBA may discuss it in Management meet and convey matter to appropriate Govt authority.

@  Five Day Week : IBA agreed to write to RBI/Govt.

@  Increase in PF Contribution : IBA asked Unions to take up matter with individual Banks.

@  NPS : Service Charges levied on Employee's a/c to be borne by Bank. This demand of BKSM is accepted.

@  IBA agreed to  enhance Special Area Allowance.

@  Ceiling on Dependent's Income : IBA Accepted suggestion. May be up from present Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000.

@  Other Allowances : Such as Cycle, Washing, Split Duty etc may be enhanced by 15 %. No decision on Diem allowance so far. Halting Allowance and Lodging Expenses may be enhanced.

@  Breakage Charges on Transfer : May be enhanced to Rs. 1650 & 1100 for Clerks & Sub Staff respectively.

@  Conveyance Allowance paid to Physically Challenged, Differently Abled Employees may go up from present Rs. 400 pm to Rs. *600* pm.

@  Voluntary Cessation of Service : IBA Refused to delete these provisions. But all those who have been imposed Voluntary Cessation so far, may be given Retirement Benefits such as Pension etc. Those who were removed from Service under this clause will be given a chance to Represent.

@  There was just suggestion for Common D.A. Index for all Pensioners. It did not move further.

@  Uniform Salary Fitment for ex - Servicemen joining Banks : IBA to take up with Govt of India.

XI th Bipartite Settlement Main Negotiating Committee meeting may take place around 5 th September. 

Things have started moving. Let the outcome come early and in good shape.

Thank You.  

VILAS GHUGARE

General Secretary

Bank Karmachari Sena Mahasangh

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After lockdown- First meeting of Bipartite Settlement between IBA and UFBU on 22nd July

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Today's Bipartite Settlement talks with IBA - Points on which IBA agreed

Negotiation took place today. IBA started the discussion from 13.5% in view of the strike call without improvement of any other issues. After protracted discussion,it was agreed that hike will be 15% in pay slip cost, 5 day week will be pursued,  a small committee will be formed to work out on increasing load from 2,% & spl allowance merger.  IBA to share  data of pensioners with UFBU.

With this understanding the strike stands deferred and the UFBU  agitation programme will be in abeyance.

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IBA, UFBUs to meet on Saturday to close wage pact: Points to be discussed

The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU) will meet on Saturday to close the eleventh bipartite settlement. Among the key discussion points are an 18-20 per cent raise in wages and a five-day work week.

The tenth settlement elapsed in October 2017, and a deal was reached with IBA that a new pact will be effective from November 2017. The finance ministry, too, had instructed that negotiations begin six months earlier from the date of expiry of the last settlement.

Pressure is mounting on the both the IBA and UBFU as the three-day bank strike called from March 11 will see banks remain shut for six days in that week —March 10 is a holiday on account of Holi, and March 15 is a second Saturday. Bank unions have also threatened an indefinite strike from April if the wage pact is not closed.

“The meeting of UFBU held at Mumbai on (February) 13… came to the unanimous and inescapable conclusion that intensified (agitation has) to be resorted to press our demands for reasonable resolution and satisfactory settlement,” said a bank union office-bearer.The talks come just ahead of the mergers of four sets of state-run banks, effective from April 1. The mergers are of Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India; Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank; Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank.

“Wage issues will have a bearing on the merging banks in a big way. So, we want this to be settled ahead of fiscal year end,” said a bank official. Mergers in the recent past — be it the State Bank of India’s merger of its five associate banks with itself, or that of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank — had come well within the indicated time frame for hammering out the wage settlement.

“Wage issues will have a bearing on the merging banks in a big way. So, we want this to be settled ahead of fiscal year end,” said a bank official. Mergers in the recent past — be it the State Bank of India’s merger of its five associate banks with itself, or that of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank — had come well within the indicated time frame for hammering out the wage settlement.

UBFU’s revised demand was on the grounds that the gap between what bank employees earn when compared to those in the government’s equivalent grade has widened. And even after a 20 per cent pay hike, this difference will stand reduced only at the beginning of the scale, but will still be at about half of the same at the end of it.

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Bank unions reject IBA's wage hike offer in today's meeting- 11th Bipartite Settlement Updates

Bank employees unions on Thursday rejected Indian Banks Association’s (IBA) offer of 15 per cent hike in wages and decided to go ahead with two day strike beginning January 31, 2020.

IBA offered a 15 per cent hike in wages, a revision over previous offer of 12.5 per cent at bilateral meeting of bank and trade union representatives to avert agitation by bank employees.

C H Venkatachalam, general Secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), said banks have declined to consider demand for five days banking in week and merger of special allowance.

Banks, under aegis of IBA, have improved offer (15 per cent). But it not acceptable and United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to go ahead with proposed two-day strike (January 31 and February 01, 2020) he said.

Meanwhile IBA in a statement said in the meeting held today (on January 30, 2020), despite the revised offer of upto 19 per cent hike including performance linked incentive made from IBA side.

During discussions, IBA team explained the conditions of business, paying capacity of Banks and consistent efforts at providing various types of benefits to the employees. But Unions are pressing for some other demands which are not possible to accept, IBA said.

One such demand is for 5-day banking. It is known to all that the economy of the country is going through testing times.  Banks being the principal players in economic development, cannot afford to provide lesser number of working days for banking activities, IBA added.

United Forum of Bank Unions which consists of nine bank unions of employees and officers, viz. AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO, has given the call for agitational programmes including strike actions.

Unions have also planned a three-day strike from March 11, followed by an indefinite strike from April 01, 2020.

Some of the major demands include Wage Revision Settlement at 20 per cent hike on Pay slip components with adequate loading thereof, Scrapping of New Pension Scheme(NPS), Updation of Pension and Improvement in Family Pension.

For the convenience of the customers, Banks will keep alternative channels available and customers can utilise these alternate/digital channels of banking 24x7 for day to day banking.

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Minutes of the Meeting of IBA with CLC - 11th Bipartite Settlement Updates

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UFBU's reply on IBA's letter

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